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“I’m very inspired by Boston and New England – I feel like they have a very charming, charming spirit.”
Boston-based graphic designer Megan Lam became the envy of fashionistas and transit obsessives alike last week when she debuted her hand-knit MBTA logo sweater. Megan Lam
Boston May I love to hate On the MBTA as a rule, but one T rider proudly wears her heart on her sleeve.
Graphic designer based in Boston Megan Lam She became the envy of fashionistas and crossover obsessives alike last week when she debuted The latest creation: Hand-knit sweater decorated with trains from commuter rail on the MBTA and the Orange, Green and Red Lines.
According to Lam, the wearable love letter to Boston’s public transportation was inspired by the bus-themed designs by the Irish creative. Siob knittingSan Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Holiday sweatersAnd of course, the infectious enthusiasm of “Love on the Spectrum” star Barry Kim For all things MBTA.
“There was a lot of enthusiasm about public transit,” Lam said in an interview. “I’ve always taken the MBTA test, so it’s definitely a familiar sight for me.”
When she decided to design an MBTA-themed jacket last July, the commuter train, the Orange Line and the Green Line were the trains Lam had used often in her days as an undergraduate at Northeastern University.
She later added the red font in honor of her job at Harvard MagazineShe explained that she was particularly moved by the view of the train as it crossed over the Charles River at sunset.
“That’s why I put those four trains on my jacket. And people say, ‘What about the Blue Line?'” “I’ve taken the Blue Line maybe twice in my life,” she said, laughing.
Former print design co-op in Boston GlobeLam said she hopes to craft more Boston-themed projects in the future, including a “Make Way for Ducklings” sweater and a pullover inspired by tulips in the public park.
“I like to make things that I feel are unique and unique to me and what I like to wear and my experiences,” she explained. “I’m very inspired by Boston and New England – I feel like they have a very charming, charming spirit.”
For Lam, the MBTA jacket was a true labor of love; I started knitting it in November and finished it just two weeks ago. She also said she had to rework some parts of it after she chose to design the garment herself on the fly, rather than using an existing pattern for the base.
“But I love it about knitting,” she added. “I love repeating it, and I feel like it’s also a motivator, because I’m just someone whose mind is always full of new things I want to make all the time, and it’s hard to make yourself sit down and finish something that’s more boring.”
Unlike many fiber arts creators, Lam prefers not to share patterns for her projects — a move she admits is “a little controversial in the knitting community.”
“I like to do things just for myself, and I like my pieces to be one-of-a-kind, unique pieces of art in my mind,” she explained.
Lam debuted the finished jacket to much fanfare on Instagram last week with an MBTA-themed photo shoot against a backdrop of subway cars and rail trains. She admitted that the outpouring of positive comments was “overwhelming,” but it was also “affirming.”
“I’m really happy to see more people tapping into their creative and artistic side lately,” Lam added. “I think it’s a wonderful thing, and I love that fiber arts in general feels like art, and not just something you play with. I think the designs that everyone is making and what you can do with knitwear is really amazing and beyond even your wildest imagination.”
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